Although discussions continue with businessman Alfred Galy on the preservation of the Greyfriars Church, Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, the issue of the illegal demolition has not been addressed nor are there any plans to do so. According to Prof Winston Suite, chairman of the Council of the National Trust, the parties involved were concentrating on arriving at an amicable solution which will be acceptable by all.
As such, the question of legal action against Galy has not been broached and Suite is doubtful it will be addressed. In a telephone interview yesterday, Suite described Monday’s meeting with Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development Dr Bhoe Tewarie and National Diversity Minister Rodger Samuel as “very fruitful.”
The ministerial meeting, which took place between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm on Monday, included officials from the National Trust, the Port-of-Spain City Corporation and the NGO Citizens for Conservation. Galy was not at that meeting. However, Suite said Tewarie was expected to meet with Galy today to apprise him of the outcome and subsequent decisions as “several things were agreed upon.”
Suite said at that meeting, a date would be set for the resumption of talks to finalise the matter. “We are moving forward and all the parties have agreed that they will work towards a resolution in the shortest possible time,” Suite said. Hours after he ordered a crew to reduce the church and church hall to rubble on Sunday, Galy agreed to stay his hand on further demolition work. He has also reportedly agreed to resume discussions surrounding the future of the 180-year-old church.
Workmen began demolishing the property around 5 am on Sunday, and succeeded in demolishing the church hall before they were stopped by Samuel’s adviser Dr Nurah-Rosalie Cordner. The demolition crew managed to knock down the church’s northern wall before Cordner’s intervention, while the eastern, western and southern walls remained intact. Suite said discussions were taking place “to decide what is required to stabilise the structure and also protect it from the elements.”